July 25, 2013 Chicago - Northwestern’s diabetes program climbs three places to 9th in the nation and highest ranked in Illinois and Chicago Northwestern Memorial Hospital has been ranked as 9th in the country on the U.S. News & World Report 2013-14 Best Hospitals specialty ranking for diabetes and endocrinology released on Tuesday, July 16. This is the first year that Northwestern Memorial has been recognized as a top 10 program in diabetes and endocrinology, rising three places from last year’s 12th ranking, making it the highest ranked program in Illinois and Chicago. Diabetes is a condition that affects the way the body uses food for energy. It occurs when the pancreas does not make enough insulin or the insulin it makes does not work effectively. It is often diagnosed and treated by primary care physicians; however, the specialty that handles diabetes is called Endocrinology. “I’m honored by this news and proud to be a part of the dedicated team who made it happen,” said Joseph Bass, MD chief of the division of endocrinology at Northwestern Memorial and Charles F. Kettering Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “According to the American Diabetes Association, 25.8 million children and adults in the United States – 8.3 percent of the population – have diabetes. Another 79 million people are pre-diabetic. But here are Northwestern, we are not only reaching out to the community to help those with diabetes, we are leading the way in clinical research in hopes to find a cure.” The U.S. News specialty rankings were driven by objective data such as death rates, procedure volume, and balance of nurses and patients. A survey of physicians, who are asked to name hospitals they consider tops in their specialty, produces a reputation score that is also factored into the rankings. To be considered in the ranked specialties, a hospital first had to meet at least one of four criteria: It had to be a teaching hospital, or be affiliated with a medical school, or have at least 200 beds, or have 100 or more beds and the availability of four or more types of important medical technology. Next, hospitals had to meet a volume requirement, individually calculated for each specialty. The required volume was the number of Medicare inpatients from 2006 to 2008 who had various specified procedures and conditions in the specialty. Just 147 hospitals, only about 3 percent of those in the U.S., earned a national ranking in one or more specialties. Northwestern Memorial climbed six places to 6th in the nation on the publisher’s most exclusive ranking: the Best Hospitals 2013-14 Honor Roll. Northwestern Memorial is the only hospital in Illinois to make this prestigious ranking, and continues its placements as No. 1 in Illinois and the Chicago metro area, a distinction the hospital has held since U.S. News introduced its state and local rankings two years ago. Northwestern Memorial is recognized in 14 of 16 specialties rated by U.S. News—five of which are top 10 placements. Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital ranked No. 21 in Illinois, No. 20 in the Chicago metro rankings, and was noted as high-performing in the categories of gastroenterology & GI surgery, geriatrics, gynecology, nephrology, and orthopaedics. These placements make it the highest rated hospital in Lake County to be recognized by U.S. News. Endocrinologists and specially-trained surgeons and clinicians at Northwestern Memorial run a number of programs dedicated entirely to diabetes care and education and is leading the way in programs such as continuous glucose monitoring, insulin pumps and diabetes mellitus research studies. Since 2006, the Northwestern Memorial Diabetes Collaborative has been helping patients living throughout the Chicagoland area better self-manage their diabetes. The Northwestern Diabetes Collaborative is one of five programs in the nation to receive the prestigious Nova Award by the American Hospital Association (AHA) for their hospital-led efforts that improved community health. For more information about diabetes and endocrinology care at Northwestern Memorial, visit http://www.nmh.org/nm/diabetes. To schedule an appointment, please call 312-926-0779. Media Contact: Sheila Galloro Senior Media Relations Associate312-926-0735sgalloro@nmh.org